'Raffles' conman seized

A notorious conman who talked his way out of a jail in Kent has been arrested after fleeing abroad.

Juan Carlos Guzman-Betancourt, 29, a Raffles-style thief who tricks his way into hotel rooms around the world, was held by police in Dublin after he struck again.

The Colombian conman has been on the run since absconding from Standford Hill prison on 6 June. He was being hunted in Dublin following a burglary at the Merrion Hotel last week in which jewellery, credit cards and other valuables were taken.

A Garda spokesman said Guzman- Betancourt was arrested in Dublin city centre yesterday.

The trickster, who modelled himself partly on Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Catch Me If You Can, was jailed this year for three and a half years after targeting hotels in Britain. He is also believed to have struck in Venezuela and Mexico. His worldwide spree is thought to have netted him millions.